


Unconventional Methods

by Jeredu



Series: After the End [3]
Category: Tales of the Abyss, 終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Abyss and Seraph of the End characters, Unrequited Dist/Jade feelings, additional characters will be added., same AU as Tales of After the End
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 02:27:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13514805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeredu/pseuds/Jeredu
Summary: If anyone assumes that a little thing like dying is going to stop Jade Curtiss, they clearly don't know him well. Becoming a Vampire has its merits, but was it worth becoming a monster? Peony seems to think so.





	Unconventional Methods

**Author's Note:**

> Please note - this is plot with a lot of unapologetic smut. I am taking the canon premise that drinking blood directly is pleasurable for both parties and RUNNING WITH IT. Easily the most explicit smut I've ever written. This also takes place in the same AU as the other entries but starts some time prior, and it is not starting in Japan. Please enjoy!

 

It had taken a lot of coaxing and at least one argument to convince Peony that it really was okay to fuck him. Jade wouldn't have suggested such a thing if he hadn't been willing, and it was clear to Jade that Peony was suffering. Peony's unwillingness to do anything to Jade which could not be reciprocated was more irritating than touching. The physiological changes to Jade's body after Turning had been a mixed bag. Unprecedented speed and strength, superb reflexes and heightened senses were a boon. But they came at the expense of many earthly pleasures. Food tasted like ashes; his body rejected it. His blood did not _flow_ , his body did not age, his emotions had retreated from the forefront of his mind and sought to disappear altogether if he let them.

The only thing a vampire desires is the taste of blood flowing fresh and hot from a living body. This is the only source of satisfaction he would ever know again. So Jade had thought, but he refused until Peony talked him into drinking directly.

\---

It had only been a week since Jade had returned from the mission that claimed his life- his _human_ life. A precious sample of a Second Progenitor’s blood came at a steep price, and only Peony’s command to _use_ it had kept Jade anchored to this world.

Three days, and the thirst had already begun to distract him. Jade could hardly refuse when Peony noticed and then shoved a bottle of his own blood into Jade’s hands. It wasn’t particularly satisfying beyond slaking his thirst, but it would suffice. Jade set to his his research with a greater drive than ever, seeking to run exhaustive tests in an effort to gather as much biological data on vampires as possible. He tested the limits of his senses, convincing Peony to spar with him while Jade wore a blindfold, testing his reflexes, agility.

Peony never hesitated to touch him, unflinching and warm, for which Jade was more grateful than he cared to admit. If Peony tugged him closer for a kiss, Jade let himself be drawn in. But he stepped back when those hands began to venture further, unsure of his own strength and unwilling to put Peony in danger.

Three more days had passed. Peony was asking Jade why the vampires outlawed the act of drinking directly from a human.

“It is uncivilized and unseemly,” Jade quoted, shrugging unconcernedly. “Apparently the act is somewhat… _scandalous_.”

Peony cracked a grin, shrugging off his outer layer. “As if that’s ever stopped me before,” he laughed, tugging his wide collar askew with a downright mischievous gleam in his eyes. “C’mere.”

Peony settled on the edge of the bed, beckoning Jade closer with a finger.

Jade raised an eyebrow. “Oh~? Eager to turn me into a criminal, are we?” But the look that Peony was giving him now was filled with _heat_ , dark and conspiratorial. “My, my, don’t tell me you actually _want_ to be bitten.”

“You won’t know unless you come over here and find out,” Peony retorted, patting one of his thighs. Jade, for his own part, was admittedly curious. There must be a reason for such an act to be banned, beyond the increased risk of harm to the donor.

He strode slowly over to Peony, who scooted back to allow more room. Jade knelt over Peony’s lap, leaning in until he was nuzzling the crook of Peony’s neck, taking a moment just to _breathe_. The scent was familiar and intoxicating. He pressed his lips to warm skin, and Peony gave an approving murmur. He moved away from the neck, loath to leave a bite mark where it could be seen.

Cautiously, Jade sank his fangs into Peony's shoulder. Immediately, he understood why this practice had been outlawed in vampire cities.

 ** _Pleasure_**.

It filled his chest with warmth and made him feel _alive_. It was like the soothing of a chronic pain he hadn't even realized he felt until the sudden, sheer _relief_ at its absence left him trembling. _Only a monster derives such joy from preying upon another_ , came the unbidden thought. But that idea was immediately dashed to pieces before it could take root --

Peony _moaned_.

Peony was limp in his arms. Jade withdrew his fangs from the puncture so that he could seal his lips against it. He didn't _need_ to suck, as the pumping of Peony's heart did all the work.

Jade did it anyway, and Peony responded by arching up against him and making another lewd noise. Jade wanted to bite again, wanted to drink and drink, but he couldn't. For Peony's sake, following these impulses would _kill_ him, and Jade would rather stand naked before the dawn and let it burn him to ashes.

Instead, he slipped a hand between Peony's thighs and around the familiar hardness, easing Peony down onto the mattress as he began to stroke. Peony's movements were weak, far more lethargic than could be attributed to blood loss - especially given that Peony was still quite capable of achieving an erection.

Jade settled beside Peony, watching his responses intently, intrigued by this reaction to the bite. Jade hadn’t touched him like this since the day he’d left for the mission, and his heightened senses caught every minute movement and soft sound. Jade vaguely recalled that vampire bites induced temporary paralysis in the victim, but those reports hadn’t mentioned _this_. Jade felt the fabric dampening beneath his palm, so he paused to carefully free Peony’s cock from the loose cloth. He noted with interest that Peony was already slick and downright _wet_ with precome, flushed and limbs beginning to stir. A hand clutched weakly at Jade’s shoulder, urging him to continue.

“S’good,” Peony whispered, and Jade closed his fist carefully around the hot flesh. Peony shuddered, apparently far more sensitive and responsive than usual. He was already so far gone that Jade suspected the venom’s lingering effects might be similar to an aphrodisiac. Breath ragged and head tossed back against the sheets, it only took a few more pumps and then Peony was choking out a wordles cry, rocking up into Jade’s hand and _coming_.

Jade stroked him through the orgasm, watching Peony ride out the waves of pleasure, and realized that he would only ever experience this vicariously at best, but that was acceptable. Though sex had been enjoyable, Jade hadn’t ever _needed_ this in the way some did.

When Peony finally came back down, Jade leaned close and kissed him. If Peony minded the taste of his own blood, he gave no indication. Jade pulled away slowly, struck by another thought. He raised his soiled hand to his lips, deliberately making eye contact as he licked it clean. He hadn’t been able to swallow anything solid after turning, so hopefully the choking sound Peony made in response would still be worth it an hour or so later, if Jade’s system didn’t reject this. It certainly didn’t sate him, but that was hardly the point.

Peony, having finally caught his breath, sat up and immediately began pressing kisses against Jade’s face, his neck, his relief nearly palpable. Jade found the contact pleasant, so he saw no reason to disengage --

That is, until Peony murmured, “Here, let me-” against Jade’s throat and slipped a hand into his waistband. There was a moment of tense silence, and Peony’s hand froze upon confirming a fear he hadn’t even known to consider.

“Jade…?”

Jade glanced away, knowing from Peony’s tone that he wouldn’t like the look he’d find in those blue eyes. He didn’t want pity.

“My apologies; I should have informed you before engaging with you in such a manner.” His tone was slightly clipped, his discomfort apparent.

Peony withdrew his hand, sounding stricken. “You can’t…?”

“No,” Jade murmured, more softly. “Not at all. Please don’t concern yourself over it.”

Peony didn’t touch him after that, except chastely. His kisses were softer, gentler, unhurried. Jade wondered if the change was for Peony’s sake, or his own. For once, Jade found himself content not knowing the answer. If Peony saw him differently, then Jade would adjust accordingly.

\---

News from overseas was rare and increasingly disturbing of late. Jade had begun tracking other vampires to eavesdrop, and an attempt was being made to tap into long range communications with little success. Still, the apparent success in developing cursed gear came as an alarming entry on a growing list of equally alarming developments in Japan. Jade’s research abroad into a variety of occult and religious practices had once led him to the land of the rising sun, and the usage of seals and wards in creating enchantments had apparently not been the only dangerous trick they were developing.

 _Demons_.

Disturbing news, indeed. If the Japanese Imperial Demon Army sought to extend its reach beyond Japan’s shores, they would be ill equipped to defend themselves against such a foe. Jade brought all of his research on enchanted weaponry before the Council, which had been so eager to dismiss such things before the advent of the so-called Apocalypse. Jade might be capable of taking on an ordinary human army singlehandedly, but he would be no match for an army of vampire _killers_ , regardless of his inherited strength.

They had much work to do.

\---

The next several days passed in a sleepless blur for Jade. Peony still constrained his touches to Jade’s face, hands, shoulders, and Jade didn’t question the change, because he still wasn’t sure what Peony had ever seen in him in the first place. If Peony permitted Jade to remain by his side, then that would be enough. Jade would - _did_ \- die for him. And now Jade would continue to _live_ for his sake as well. Jade kept Peony close, because Peony represented everything that had ever mattered to Jade as a human, and these were the things which Jade refused to surrender even as his physiology tried to make him forget anything but what he had become.

As though reading Jade’s discomfort through his reticence on the matter, Peony passed him a small bottle sloshing with red after three more days had passed. Jade waited until the following day to drink it. So this continued, with Jade pushing a little further each time, keenly aware of Peony’s recent and worrisome pallor and fatigue. When Dr. Shu examined Peony and forbade him from donating any more blood for at least a week, Jade took the news in calm silence. He assured Peony that he needn’t worry. Jade always had contingency plans, after all.

And so Jade had attempted to test the limits of his thirst, and he found that he needed to drink blood more often than he’d like, if he wanted to eliminate the distracting ache completely. Even pushing himself to the point where his grip on self control began to weaken, he still knew that Peony was losing blood faster than his body could produce it. Very few people were fully aware of Jade’s situation, however, and Jade could not bring himself to ask any of them to become like livestock.

Clearly, Saphir does not share this view. Jade finds himself staring down the other scientist who stands rigid in the doorway of his private quarters, pale and stammering and _defiant_. Jade can smell the little spike of fear resulting from the full force of Jade’s glare- his attention, his _intent_ , when unchecked, tends to have that effect on people. But Saphir won’t be intimidated, and the measurable uptick in his pulse only irritates Jade further. The words are all Jade _this_ , Peony _that_ , and it is nothing Jade hasn’t thought every day since he changed- He needs blood to _function_ , but he cannot keep relying on Peony without negatively impacting the man’s health, and they _need_ Peony to lead them.

Jade fights down an impulse to lunge. He remains silent, his eyes fixed on this _intruder_ , and eventually the urge dissipates.

Saphir has grown nervous, agitated, and finally trails off mid-sentence.

“Whatever is the matter?” Jade drawls, his displeasure clear in the false sincerity of his tone. He smiles, and the expression is all teeth and never reaches his eyes. His tone drops, the words all sharp steel wrapped in velvet. “Please go on. I'd like to hear this alternative you're proposing." He doesn’t miss the way it makes Saphir shiver.

“Stop-” Saphir swallows, tries again, indignant and shrill. “Stop... _using_ him! You can’t keep -”

Jade cuts him off. “Would you rather I assault strangers on the streets?” He steps closer. “Perhaps I’ll wait until I go mad and slaughter you all.”

“There is NOTHING WRONG with taking what’s _freely given!”_ Saphir yells, gesturing to himself, and Jade suddenly recalls that the other scientist has been harboring unrequited feelings for _years_. But Jade is speaking again before he can stop himself.

"Oh? And just what are you prepared to _give_?" He is close enough now to see the way Saphir’s pupils have dilated. Jade knows, he _knows_ that Peony would disapprove. He knows that that it would be _wrong_ to take advantage of those feelings. But the scent of skin is suddenly calling to him, filling him with agony and longing. It would be wrong, but Jade can’t bring himself to care.

“A-anything… you require,” Saphir whispers. Jade surges forward, grabbing him and pulling him into the room. He has the presence of mind to shut the door, but he doesn’t lock it. Instead, Jade drags Saphir over to the cot and pins him down by the wrist, heedless of the cry of pain from the harsh grip. Jade yanks the man’s collar aside in a motion that would have torn the garment if it hadn’t been partially unbuttoned.

Jade bends down and sinks his fangs into Saphir’s shoulder. Immediately, the fire devouring him from within is finally extinguished, his thoughts coming into focus with startling clarity. Saphir chokes out a moan and arches up weakly against him, but Jade ignores him, intent only on the blood he so desperately needs. He doesn’t care about the fingers that try to clutch at him, weak and attempting to pull him _closer_. He is unmoved, caring only about the deep, intoxicating satisfaction which only seems to grow within him as he drinks. He distantly notes the way the other’s hips move sluggishly against him, distantly notes the way Saphir starts to tremble-

Jade pulls away, panting, stopping only because he had no intention of killing. His senses scream at him to continue, but he has the strength to ignore them again. Saphir tries, fumbling, to touch his face. Jade does not know what Saphir is hoping to find when he makes eye contact, but Jade meets the gaze impassively.

Still, he is not so cruel that he would leave Saphir in such a state. Jade can feel a hard length pressed against him, but the hand he slips between Saphir’s legs is not the least bit tender. He is cold and methodical, stroking roughly and heedless of the way Saphir mewls, clutching at the sheets, sobbing for breath, slick and trembling and wanton. Jade sees a stray smear of red and leans down to suck at it, feeling the pulse flutter frantically.

Saphir strains up against him, legs shaking, lips caught on a name Jade doesn’t hear, and comes. Jade waits only until the muscle spasms cease before he rises. He returns with tissues, wiping his hand clean and dropping the box next to Saphir on the bed.

“Thank you,” Jade says curtly. Saphir sits up, tucking himself away and looking utterly deflated. He opens his mouth to speak, but he is cut off by the click of the opening door.

\---

Peony was _furious_. He, too, had known about Saphir’s feelings. There was no mistaking the scent in the air or the state of his clothing, but it was the small bloodstain on the man’s collar that painted the complete picture. Peony’s glare was _cold_ as he grabbed the folded blanket from the foot of the cot and settled it over Saphir’s shoulders. He knelt to ask if the other could stand. Saphir shrugged, and Peony stood with a muttered curse, striding briskly over to appropriate a water bottle without asking.

Jade wisely said nothing, since they both knew he no longer had any use for them, and he hadn’t _intended_ to invite additional criticisms in the face of Peony’s already considerable ire. Peony handed it to Saphir and told him to stay however long he felt he needed.

“ _You_ ,” Peony snapped, prodding Jade in the chest, “come with me. _Now_.”

\---

Peony led Jade back to his own quarters, shutting the door and still looking very agitated.

“What were you _thinking_?” Peony finally exclaimed. “Or were you? How long, Jade?”

Jade didn’t need Peony to clarify. He wanted to know how long it had been since Jade had consumed any blood.

“Ten days.”

Peony cursed. Jade had already confided that it was only advisable to go three days or so between meals, and this was more than _thrice_ as many. Even Jade’s self control was not endless, and this had been admittedly rather foolish. Still, Jade needed to get a sense of the limits of this body, and the only way of doing so was by experimenting.

Peony marched up to him until he was a hair’s breadth away, and Jade was reminded that the other man was one of the only people tall enough to look _down_ at him, if only just.

“Unacceptable. Don’t you _dare_ try that shit again,” Peony bit out, grabbing Jade’s chin when Jade glanced away, despite the fact that Peony could no longer _force_ him to move. Jade didn’t resist, however, and finally made eye contact.

“I am a monster, Peony, and no amount of _wishful thinking_ on your part is going to change that fact,” Jade began, calm in the face of Peony’s fury. “I am, however, attempting to find a way to _coexist_ , since you are so intent on keeping me at your side. What would you have me do?”

These were, apparently, the wrong words to say. Peony’s response was _explosive_.

“I don’t know, maybe _ask for help_?!” Peony roared, grabbing Jade by the shoulders and looking downright _hurt_. “So maybe I’m not enough even if you starve yourself. There are people you can ask who would _gladly_ donate blood, without you needing to… to _prey_ on the feelings of a poor sap who is hopelessly smitten with you?!”

Jade flinched. Peony immediately looked horrified at his choice of words.

“I didn’t mean it like-”

Jade gently removed Peony’s hands from himself. “It doesn’t matter if you did; it’s still _true_. I don’t care for him or his snivelling, but he did not deserve that, is what you are trying to say.”

Peony sighed, suddenly looking very tired. “Yeah, something like that. Look, just… I’m going to talk to Aslan. Maybe we can alternate. Jasper’s probably down with that idea, too. Just…”

Peony leaned forward to prod Jade in the chest. “Tell me, next time. Anything and everything. If there’s something bothering you, _tell me_. I don’t care if you don’t think it’s my problem. I’m _making_ it my problem.”

Jade returned the look in silence, considering for a long while. In truth, he had several concerns about their arrangement, but Peony was certainly no fool. Jade had let these concerns cloud his judgement; in truth, Peony’s input could be quite useful.

“...Very well. I do have a few concerns to discuss with you,” and he held up a finger as Peony made to interject, “but please allow me the time to organize my thoughts onto paper. This is hardly the time or place.”

Peony groaned, giving him a good-natured shove. “You and your reports. Fine,” he agreed. “Don’t think that threatening me with those is gonna dissuade me from holding you to that.”

Jade had the audacity to look _offended_. “I wouldn’t _dream_ of it.”

Peony ran a hand through his unruly mane, which only served to dishevel it further. “Hey, go apologize to Saphir, all right?”

Jade inclined his head slightly, and he left without a word. He could hear Peony sigh as the door clicked shut behind him. It was clear that this situation still didn’t sit well with him, even after their discussion.

Jade’s long legs carried him swiftly to his private quarters, but Saphir was already gone. The only indication that he had ever been there were the rumpled sheets, the folded blanket, and the lingering scent which clung to them.

\---

It hadn’t taken long for Jade to put together the data and points of concern he meant to discuss with Peony. A quick word with a guard confirmed that Peony had not left his private quarters, so Jade made his way back to them with a sheaf of papers in hand. He paused when he reached the doorway, but only because he heard Peony murmuring his name before he’d even knocked.

Really, it could mean one of two things. Jade’s response in either case remained the same; he opened the door without further hesitation.

Immediately, the scene beyond the door assaulted his senses. Peony lay on his bed, his pants shoved down to his ankles with one hand clutching the sheets as the other hovered between his legs, motion frozen upon the intrusion.

Jade stepped in and quietly shut the door behind himself, realizing now what a fool he’d been to think that anything had changed. Peony watched him, silent but for his ragged breathing, making no attempt to cover himself or remove his hand from around his dick. He was clearly only waiting to hear Jade’s reason for intruding before planning to continue.

But Jade offered no explanation. None was needed, when it was so apparent that Peony’s feelings had not changed in the least. Instead, he locked the door and moved immediately to Peony’s side, observing the way the blond’s eyes widened, the sharp intake of breath as Jade settled over his thighs, the tiny tremor in the hands which lovingly came up to cup his face as Jade bent down to kiss Peony _properly_.

He felt Peony’s tongue brush against his fangs, openly curious. Jade let him explore for a moment before pulling away to seal lips against Peony’s throat, trailing open mouthed kisses down his neck and chest, occasionally letting his fangs scrape without ever breaking the skin. Peony’s hips rolled insistently against him, reminding Jade of the state in which he'd found the other man.

Without pause, Jade slipped off of the low bed to kneel beside it, leaning over and nuzzling the heavy length between Peony’s thighs. Peony shivered, sucking in another breath and sitting up on the edge of the mattress.

“Jade, are you-”

Jade reached around to lightly scrape fingernails down Peony’s sides, earning another shiver.

“I am _quite_ sure,” Jade breathed, the heat of the words washing over him and Jade’s lips brushing against the shaft. Peony shuddered, fingers digging into the sheets. Jade took a moment to slide the loose pants all the way off. Jade wondered absently if Peony's arousal was a result of the incident earlier - had Peony seen Saphir and thought of Jade’s hands around his own cock? Perhaps that had been the very fantasy Jade had interrupted.

To that end, Jade roughly dragged a palm against the head, wrapping his fingers around the shaft to give it a few firm strokes, making Peony’s breath hitch deliciously.

Without the drug-like influence of the venom, Peony was no less eager but far more controlled, and he was not nearly so close to the edge. This was good, because Jade intended to take his time.

Jade let his hand settle, wrapped around the base as he bent forward to take the head of Peony’s cock between his lips. While Jade’s fingers were cool against Peony’s skin, his mouth was still warm and wet. Jade could feel Peony’s muscles twitch as he kept himself from thrusting up into that heat, swearing reverently.

This had nothing to do with blood or reciprocation or courtesy. For all that his vampire body no longer responded to such stimuli, Jade still found himself wanting to engage. If nothing else, the choice of doing so for no reason other than _want_ was a very human quality. Jade was admittedly disturbed by the notion of becoming a true monster, as though something as deeply ingrained as his sense of _self_ was no longer safe or static. While Jade, as a human, had preferred to keep his emotions at arm’s length out of a desire to remain fully in control of his actions, he now did the very opposite for precisely the same reason.

Jade would not surrender his identity without a fight. If clinging to human vices was what it took to keep his emotions and sense of morality from receding into a cold fog of apathy, to keep his human values intact, then Jade fully intended to do so. For Jade, sex was not an outlet so much as an affirmation - a way of defying the nature forced upon him and refusing to let it change him. He came to Peony with a desire to strengthen his own convictions, to carve this feeling into his heart even as all else began to fade away, to build it into a pillar to guide himself.

Peony’s body was his temple, a sanctuary, and Jade _worshipped_. With tongue and precise fingers, Jade mapped the shape of Peony’s arousal in feather-light touches and hot caresses. Where food had turned his stomach, the taste of Peony’s body was something to savor. Fumbling fingers tangled into his hair, and Jade hummed in encouragement.

Jade took great care to keep his fangs well away from the velvety skin as he took Peony into his mouth. Slowly, he sank down, taking no small amount of satisfaction in the way Peony tugged at his hair and groaned long and low. Jade marveled at the flutter of Peony’s pulse against his lips, the heat of his flesh, the musk of his sweat, the sudden taste of precome spilling against his tongue. Peony mumbled another curse, rocking his hips shallowly and hunching forward, spreading his legs wider as his body reflexively chased after the feeling of _pleasure_.

Jade chuckled, putting one hand on Peony’s hip to keep him still, the other slipping from the base of Peony’s cock to search lower, cupping his balls, stroking the sensitive area behind them. Jade took another inch into his mouth, his cheeks hollowing as he began to suck.

Jade noted with some amusement that there was no telltale ache forming in his jaw, no urge to gag as the head touched the back of his throat. He brushed a hand over Peony’s abdomen and felt the muscles draw tight at the touch, and the sharp tug to Jade’s scalp only served as encouragement. Only when his nose brushed against the coarse hair at the base did Jade finally begin to pull back in a smooth, continuous motion that drew a guttural moan from Peony’s open mouth.

Jade pulled free with a wet pop, immediately pressing the flat of his tongue against the slit, smearing the slickness across the sensitive head. The taste was not nearly as unpleasant as he remembered, and Jade wondered if that was due to the physiological changes to his body. Clearly, Peony had been holding back for the better part of the past month, because Jade had rarely seen Peony’s body so responsive.

“Damn,” Peony hissed, shuddering as he began to roll his hips in the shallowest motion he could manage, as though he couldn't stop himself from moving any longer. Jade let him, pressing a kiss below Peony’s navel and using a hand to smear the generous slickness down his shaft. “You sure you're just a vampire and - _ah_! N-not some kind of…Incubus?”

Jade laughed, using the pad of his thumb to rub in small circles across the head. “Please, flattery will get you nowhere,” he purred. Peony’s eyes drifted shut, unable to form a response through the fog in his mind, too distracted by the tingling pleasure Jade’s thumb was sending shooting through his body. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were Peony’s ragged breathing and the lewd susurrations of Jade’s fingers against wet flesh.

Jade leaned down to press puckered lips to the tip of Peony’s cock and sucked _hard_. Peony made a strangled noise at the back of his throat, and more wetness coated Jade’s lips. He rubbed them across the flushed head, spreading it like a balm, parting his mouth to enclose it and press his tongue against the seeping slit. Peony wouldn't last long at this rate, but Jade didn’t intend to end it just yet.

Jade pulled off of it completely and straightened back up, staring into Peony’s eyes as he licked his lips _very_ deliberately. Jade _felt_ Peony’s cock twitch against him, and the other man was watching him with dark, hungry eyes. Peony bent down to kiss him, his tongue pressing into Jade’s mouth, firm, caressing, the contact hot and desperate and only breaking when Peony had to gasp for breath. He immediately dove back down, pressing short, hard kisses against Jade’s face.

Jade slipped a hand around behind Peony, finding his puckered entrance with firm fingers and teasing it, feeling it draw tight in response to the touch. Peony arched, tensing, and Jade sank back down, swallowing his entire length smoothly.

Peony didn’t bother muffling his cry, nor the ensuing gasps as Jade began to bob his head in earnest, letting his tongue drag along the underside of Peony’s cock as he sucked. A glance up at Peony revealed heavy-lidded eyes and darkly flushed cheeks, his hair clinging and damp against his forehead. Peony tangled his fingers in Jade’s hair tightly enough to pull at his scalp. This time, when he rocked forward to thrust into Jade’s mouth, Jade altered his movements to accommodate. He aligned himself, opening his jaws wider so that his fangs posed no danger and Peony could fuck into his mouth with abandon.

As the thrusts grew shallow and erratic and Peony’s gasps began to take the shape of his name, Jade pulled back slightly, wrapping one hand around the base of Peony’s cock and pressing a slick finger into Peony’s ass.

“J… Jade,” he choked, “ _Jade_ , ‘m…”

In answer, Jade sucked forcefully, crooking that finger and urging Peony to let go.

With a broken moan, Peony rutted up against Jade and surrendered, letting the orgasm rip through him. Jade could feel him clench hard, could feel his balls draw tight, felt the muscle contractions making Peony’s cock jerk and spurt against his tongue, felt the violent tremor ripple through Peony’s body as his heart beat frantically in his chest and pleasure - _ecstasy_ \- consumed every inch of his being. Jade drank it in, watching without blinking, not so much envious as _appreciative_ , satisfied on a deeper level he could not quite explain. Peony still quivered against him, so Jade flattened his hand around the base of Peony’s cock and took the rest of it in one more time. Peony choked out a strained curse, spurting down the back of Jade’s throat. Jade took it a step further and _swallowed_ around him, pulling another ragged moan from Peony. When his cock finally stopped twitching, Jade eased him back onto the bed before finally releasing his spent cock with a wet sound, sucking lightly, laving it clean with his tongue.

Peony clutched at his shirt, tugging weakly, and Jade let himself be pulled down to lie at Peony’s side. It was late, and one look at the boneless sprawl of Peony’s limbs convinced Jade that the discussions could wait until morning. Gradually, Peony’s breathing evened out to match Jade’s. Jade no longer slept comfortably in a bed, but he found himself content to lie awake and watch the peaceful rise and fall of Peony’s chest.

\---

Jade felt Peony begin to stir against him, the other having migrated closer to Jade during the night to entangle their limbs. Jade allowed this behavior since it made it very easy to monitor Peony’s vital signs via sensory input alone, and the physical contact itself was pleasant. He reached over to brush the messy bangs away from Peony’s eyes, and Peony finally cracked an eye open to look at him, blinking blearily.

“You feelin’ okay..?” Peony mumbled, to Jade’s mild confusion. His body was no longer capable of succumbing to illness, as far as he knew. His confusion must have been apparent, because Peony added, “You swallowed a hell of a lot of cum last night.”

Ah, yes, that made a bit more sense. Peony had been present for Jade’s ill-fated attempt to consume human food as a vampire, and he had _also_ been present when Jade had retched and heaved it all back up.

“No worse for the wear,” Jade replied with a knowing smirk. “Though if you're that concerned, I suppose you could come on my face instead, next time~.”

Peony swallowed, and Jade noted that last night's endeavors had apparently no impact on the usual morning wood, which had twitched with interest at the suggestion.

“Or right now, if you prefer,” Jade murmured, prompting a groan from Peony.

“Holy shit, why weren’t you this kinky back when you could actually get off on it?” Peony lamented, to which Jade laughed outright.

“Some of us actually have work to do. But now that I have so many more hours in the day at my disposal, I think I can spare a few on you.” In truth, that wasn't nearly the entire reason, but Jade was not entirely sure he wanted to have that discussion right now. Peony tossed a pillow at him, which Jade caught easily. “As to your original inquiry, my body is now _specialized_ for processing a particular bodily fluid. Nothing else provides sustenance, but similar substances can pass through without being rejected.”

Peony raised an eyebrow. “Aww, there go my fantasies of sustaining you on nothing but love and wild, kinky sex,” he mock-pouted. “Wait, so spunk is like junk food for you now?”

Jade smirked. “Worse, actually, but close enough.” He couldn't metabolize it, but it wasn't unpleasant. He sat up and rolled smoothly to his feet, fetching the sheaf of papers he'd dropped last night. It contained detailed plots and charts, followed by several pages of shorthand notations and a few cryptic diagrams along with symbols drawn in flowing calligraphy.

“While I have your attention-”

“You _always_ have _my_ attention,” Peony muttered.

“-There are a few matters I’d like to discuss,” Jade continued, unperturbed, handing the stack to Peony, who groaned in dismay but began shuffling through them, skimming at first, then reading in earnest and some apprehension.

“Jade, surely there are other ways-” Peony began, falling silent as he looked over the final page, covered in complex, foreign symbols.

Jade adjusted his glasses, sighing. “I may very well point out that there is little precedent for this situation. I might be a case study, but that does not mean we shouldn’t have a _working_ contingency plan in place.”

Peony’s smile was bitter as he flipped back to the first page, which contained data from the tests Jade had put himself through in an effort to find the upper limits of his body. If anything, they seemed to still be climbing from their already astronomical baseline.

“Every weapon needs to have a safety lock, is what you’re saying. A failsafe.”

Jade shrugged. “I might not pose a threat to you in the present, but I can’t say with any certainty if that will still be true a decade from now,” he murmured. “I’ve no interest in dealing with demons if it can be avoided, so I’ve been researching other effective means of vampire containment.”

Peony sighed, running a hand through his hair and shifting himself to sit at the edge of the bed. “Doesn’t Japan already have something like that?”

Jade snorted. “For common vampires, yes. But by their system, I could potentially hold a rank as high as Seventh Progenitor,” he mused. “However, I have no social standing since I’ve put a great deal of effort into staying off of their radar. They don’t know I exist.”

Peony swore under his breath. “ _Seventh_ -” he started, breaking into a laugh. “I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore. But you’re still young, right? Don’t you have to grow into it?”

Jade smirked. “Indeed. If I faced off against any of the recognized nobles who currently have that rank…” He tilted his head, looking more amused than anything. “Why, I’d be torn to pieces. But that doesn’t mean I’m not already capable of singlehandedly killing every single person in this base with _ease_. Apathy and hunger are the greatest enemies I will ever face. Please humor me.”

Peony grimaced at the the implications. “And yet you’re saying you need to go to Japan, which is an active war zone in comparison,” he muttered, “and somehow still not be seen?”

“Yes, I thought I made that quite clear in the report. Unless your technicians have managed to restore communications…?”

Peony shook his head, and Jade’s mouth drew into a hard line. “Then I must go. We’d be fools not to prepare ourselves for hostile takeover. I never liked the Hiragis, with their penchant for warmongering. They might be worse than the vampires.”

Peony sighed. “All right; we can work out the logistics later. But this stuff about constraints and wards- I don’t like it, but you don’t need my approval for this.”

Jade smiled. “Oh, I know _that_. I’m not asking for _approval_ ; I’m asking for _assistance_. I may have gained many things upon becoming a vampire, but an extra set of hands is not one of them.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> More will be coming eventually! Please let me know what you think!! I really appreciate feedback <3


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